Kennedy Trail - Saguaro NP, AZ

Overview: Kennedy Trail connects Shantz Trail on its northern end to Squeeze Pen & Vanover Trail at its southern terminus. Along the way it also passes an intersection with the Creosote Trail. Similar to some of the other nearby trails in SNP East, Kennedy Trail isn't much of a destination to visit on its own and is best used in conjunction with other trails to form your own unique route through the desert.


Hike: From Shantz Trail, follow Kennedy as it heads directly south through the desert. In several places the trail will dip down into washes and climb back out the other side. As you move in and out of these washes you can clearly see where the rain runoff has dug deep gouges in the dirt parallel to the trail. At 0.2 miles you will encounter a junction for Creosote Trail on your left.Past Creosote Trail, Kennedy will continue to gradually gain elevation. At 0.43 miles you will reach the junction with Squeeze Pen & Vanover Trail. The junction seems to have been chosen at a seemingly arbitrary location, as Squeeze Pen continues to head south along the exact same course as Kennedy Trail for another 100 yards before it begins to gradually curve westward towards Loma Verde Trail.

2012-07-07 keepmoving